Pipe rotating tongs



June 6, 1950 w. E. GEAN,

PIPE ROTATING TONGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1. 1948 ATTORNEYS.

June 6, 1950 Filed June 1, 1948 W. E. GEAN PIPE ROTATING TONGS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 ean INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented June 6, i950 UNITED PIPEROTATING'TONGS i: 7

William E. Gean, atr a-ris 1a.; .s Applioation'June'l,

. a 3- Claims.

This invention-relates to-a device for rotating a section of an oil wellpipe to engage said section threadedly with another pipe section, or todisengage it from the other section. as desired.

unscrewing the pipe sections which will eliminate the dangerous aspectsof this operation;

It has accordingly been the main purpose of the present invention todevise a machine that will eliminate or reduce greatly the possibilityof accident in making up or disassembling pipe at the site of adrillingor producing oil well.

Other important objects are to provide a device of this character thatcan be easily positioned at a desired location; that is readily appliedto a pipe section for threading or unthreading thereof, and asreadily'removed; will be durable and emcient in operation; can receiveits power from equipment already located at the well site; and that canbe constructed at relatively low cost.

To this end, I provide a device of the character described that can bereadil'y connected to the motor on the oil well servicing unit which isstandard equipment at the well. The machine includes a shaft housing inwhich is journaled a' shaft driven by the" motor. Through the medium-ofa'clutch arrangement, a driving connec-- tion is made 'or broken asdesired between the shaft and a pinion that extends into an annularcasing rigid with the shaft housing. The casing contains a ring gealjpowered by the pinion, and a pluralityof gripping segments rotatablewith the ring gear, and, mountedzto be moved radially into grippingengagement with a pipe section surrounded by the casing. The casing,ring gear, and gripping means are split diametrically to provide opposedhalves.- These halves are hinged together so that the casing can beappliedto or removed from-the pipe section, and a latch arrangement isutilized to hold the halves together around the pipe when the machine isin use. The device is. capable ofTbeing inverted and when inverted uncis applied, from an adjacent pipe-section:

With the foregoingand other objects in 'view which; will appear as thedescription proceeds; the 5' invention consists--; of :certain--noveldetails of constructiqn and combinations'of-parts, herein-- after morefully describedand-pointed' out in the" claims,--i t-'being understoodthat changes may be made in;theconstruction-and arrangement of parts:Without departing fromthe spirit of the invention-asclaimed;

-Figure-l is aplanview of; a pipe rotating tongs constructed inaccerdancewith the invention,

portions being-brokenaway,

--Figure 2 is-aiview partly-in side elevation and partl-yflnlongitudinal section: a Eigure 3 is ;an-;enlarged section through thecasing taken substantiallyon line-- 3'-3 of Fig. 1-.

Figure-i is-a perspective-view of one of the ripping segments Figure 5is-an enlarged view partly inelevation and partlyintransverse section ofone of the ring gear bearingsw .7

Figure 6 is a bottom-plan viewof said bearing;

--Referring to-the drawings in detail, a shaft 'Hs driven fromthe--motor-(not-shown) required for regular well operationathroughthe-medium of'a universal joint 8. h Obviously, any numberofuniversaljoints canine-used as required, as well asa-shafting,either-telescoping or otherwise, ex-- tendingbetween said joints.Thesehave not been illustrated,-: because such driving-' arrangementsarewell known, and-it isnecessary to notein the nectionis made'betweenthe-motor and shaft 1;

atthelocationfwhere the machine is to be used.-

vshaftfl rotatesLinaaibearing 9 mounted in a cylindrical shafthousi-ngi0, and keyed to the is alQfrusto-oonical clutclnmember II. The

splinedLclut'ch; throughlthe use' of an opera tatesa stub shaft I4carryin'gethe beveled pinion- 15- Pinion g l 5 extends v.into an innularcasing generally designated |6, and comprising the casing members l1.and. I-BUhingedIy connected as 500 at l'9. The shaft housing I0 isrigidly-connected ouplesthepipe-section to which it present-instanceonlythat a suitable driving eonend of the shaftsi-orislidingmovementthereonto one of these members, in the present instance the casingmember [8.

Carried by the casing members I1 and I8 respectively are handles and 2|whereby the members can be swung apart or together as desired. Thecasing member 18 carries the pivoted spring pressed latch 22 engageablewith the tooth 23 of the member l1. Thus, when the members are broughttogether as illustrated in Fig. 1, the cooperating latch portions engageto provide what is in efiect a rigid annular casing adapted to surroundan oil well pipe section, not shown.

Mounted for rotation in the casing is the split ring gear. comprisingthe. gear member and the gear member'25. Eaclrof these extends through ahalf circle, so that when the casing members are brought together as inFig. 1, the gear memo-V bers cooperate to provide the ring gear.

Formed in the outer surfaces of the gear meme bers .24 and 25 areperipheral grooves 26 cooperating to define a single annular groovereceiving the pinion i5. In the opposed faces: of'thd e'ari member 24are formed bearing grooves 21, andin the opposed faces of the gearmember 25 are similar bearing grooves 28. These receive roller bearings29 connected to the casing by means of fastening means 30; n

Gearteeth 31 are formed-on one sidewall of the pinion-receiving grooveof the ring gear; and

thus it will be seen that assuming the casing members are latchedtogether as in Fig. 1- and that the clutch members are engaged, powertransmitted toshaft'l will 'in turn result in rota tion of thecompositely formed'ri'ng gear.

When the casing members i I and [Bare latched,- they define apipe-receivingcenter' opening 32;- This opening is partially closedbyinwardly extended top and bottom flanges 3310f the e r member 2a, andinwardly extended top and bot-' tom flanges 3 of the gear member 25;

Registering openings 35" are formed inthe flanges, receiving bolts 36that extend through: angularly disposed slots 31; provided in arcuategrip ing segments 38', having their inner surfaces toothed for grippingengagement with apipe-section as best shown in Fig. 4. The-number ofgrip-- pingsegments 38'can vary; but in the present instance, andpreferably, four are illustrated; eachextending through approximatelyThe-sag ments are housed between-the flanges 33 and -between the flanges34; The segments, as-w-ill be observed, are readily removable, so asto-aocom-- modate different pipe diameters;

By reason of the fact that the-respective--slots'- 31 are tangent to acircle-having its centerjom the axis of rotation ofthe-ring gear, saidslots" will be oblique-to-thecircular paththrough' which Consideringnowthe manner" in which the segments function, the. segments" will firsthave been brought" intoengagement'withthe pipe by the swinging togetherand latching;

the bolts 36 move;

of the casing sections. Thenthe-motorisstarted, and the-initialrotatablemovementfiof the bolts results in said bolts bearing againstthe inner" walls of the slots, so thatzthe segments are biased? radiallyand inwardly into a tight gripping en gagement with the pipe sect-ion toberotated', asta' result of which the ring gear; segments, and pipe;Thus, the pipesection is threaded= upon anotherpipegsection; Throughthe'simple'" rotate as one;

medium of invertingthe,device said pipe' section isunthreadecl'from apipe section to whichiit has been previously connected; The machineis'thus adapted for-threadingor disconnecting operations as necessary:

To suspend the machine in proper position to grip a pipe section, theremay be provided a yoke 39 pivoted to the casing It, to which yoke wouldbe connected a cable, not shown, secured to some portion of the wellstructure.

In practice, the tongs are operated by a worker controlling the clutch.Assuming that a pipe is being threadedly connected to another pipe,indication that the threaded engagement has been completed is providedby utilizing a torque Wrench, which provides this indication by a noisewhich is familiar to the worker.

What is claimed is:

1., Pipev rotating mechanism includingv an annular' casing comprisinghingedl'y connected casthe inner surface of the ring gear; a group ofsegments seated in said channel and having toothed inner portionsextended inwardly beear,

yond the channel into engagement with a pipe to be rotated, each segmenthaving a cam slot disposed obliquely to the path of rotation of the ringgear; bolts extending between the walls of the channel and through theslots and remov ably connectingtlie segments to the ring gear, saidbolts bearingagainst the inner walls of the slots on rotation of thering gear to bias said segments inwardly into gripping engagement withsaid'pipe; and means fordriving the ring ear.

2; Pipe turning mechanism" including an annular casing comprisinghingedly' connected cas ingmembers; means releasably holding saidmembers against separation; a ring gear formed in sect-ions and mountedfor rotation in said casing, the inner surface of said ring gear beinaf'ormedwith a channel; a plurality of arcuate segments'seated in saidchannel* and havin'gtheir inner surfaces extended inwardly beyond thechannel, said inner surfaces' ofthe segments-betoothed forengagementwith :a pipe to be rotated, each segment" having a slotdisposed obliquely to the path of rotationof said ringgear and. saidsegments being, normally spa'ced apart at their ends; bolts removablymounted imthe walls'ofsaid channel and" extending across a thechannelvand throughithe respective slots for? removable connection of'the segments to the ring gear; said bolts bearing; against the innerwalls of said slots to; bias the: segments inwardly toward thepipe-while rotating the segmentsWith': the ring; gear; and meansfordriving said ring 3; Pipelturning: mechanism: comprising an annularcasing including apair of semi-circular channeled-casing, membershingedly connected at one end; latch means for releasably connecting;the other ends ot-said. membersto form: an? annular casing surroundingapipe: to berotated; bearing rollers mounted in the Walls of saidchanneled casing; a ringge'ar, rotatably mounted insaid channeledcasingland'having its oppositefacfes'. grooved to receivesaidbearingrollers, the inner surface of saidninggearbeingiform'edflwith a channel; aplurality'of arcuate' segmentsiseate'd'in said'i channel. and having their inner surfaces extended". inwardlybeyond the channel, said in nor surfaces of the segments-beingtoothedfor engagement" with a .pipjetoibe-rotated; each seg ment havingaislot disposed obliquelyto the path of'rotation o fisaidzring gear:and'said-segments fi being'normally spaced apart attheir ends bolts" 5removably mounted in the walls of said channel and extending across thechannel and through the respective slots for removable connection of thesegments to the ring gear, said bolts bearing against the inner walls ofsaid slots to bias the segments inwardly toward'the pipe while rotatingthe segments with the ring gear; and means for driving said ring gear.

WILLIAM E. GEAN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date McCready Feb. 7,1905 Brackney Feb. 18, 1908 Zierath Feb. 22, 1916 Wilson Sept. 19, 1916Robichaux et a1. Oct. 8, 1918 Reeves Oct. 25, 1921 Boykin, J1. Nov. 29,1921 Vreeland Dec. 20, 1921 Black Apr. 15, 1924 Kinser Apr. 21, 1931Hicks Nov. 28, 1939 Rowland Aug. 13, 1946

